Studio 13

Housing the Spectrum: Autism focused housing for the future

Andrew Martel

Studio Description

This studio will investigate housing solutions for people on the autism spectrum. Students will have a choice of two sites for their work. The renovation of an existing building on Ascot Vale Road, Moonee Ponds, owned by Araluen – an established service and housing provider for people with intellectual disabilities in northern Melbourne, or a new build on a site in the City of Melbourne that is part of the City’s Boyd Park Community Hub. Both sites are current real projects and so the studio outcomes will need to respond to client expectations, meet all building and planning regulations, and be cost effective in terms of overall building size, number of apartments, building materials and construction method used. A detailed brief for each site will be provided by Araluen and the City of Melbourne.

Studio Outcome

This studio uses real sites and projects as a frame to explore and investigate optimum housing solutions for people on the autism spectrum, and people with intellectual disabilities more generally. The research component will focus on understanding the nature of disabilities like autism – including understanding positive behaviours as well as triggers to unsocial behaviour. In particular, the studio will examine how the built environment can contribute to the health, safety and well being of people with disabilities. Like all involvement with people with disabilities, the key themes are choice, control, participation and inclusion.

Appropriate housing is critical to allow people on the autism spectrum to contribute to their fullest extent to family and community life. At the end of the studio, students will have designed an apartment complex which includes design features derived from their research that responds to needs of this diverse group of residents.

Studio Leader

Dr Andrew Martel is a lecturer in Architecture and Construction in the Faculty. He is a housing researcher specialising in housing for people with disabilities. His previous design studios have included 'We are not always perfect: designing and building the whole of life house' (2015), 'Designing the university for people with disabilities' (2017) and 'The co-housing challenge: choice, control, participation, inclusion' (2018)

Readings & References

• www.araluen.org
• www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/building-and-development/shaping-the-city/city-projects/Pages/boyd-park-concept-plan.aspx

Schedule Tuesdays 09:00-12:00 in Room 227; Fridays 09:00-12:00 in Room 246

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